Mal-Book.

[bad_in_latin]

Mal can draw both his gun and his calligraphy again. The Doc sure knows his trade.

Sitting at the kitchen table after a fun round of blabbing Mal's middle name over the intercom, Mal has his parchments all strewn over the tabletop, the accidental significance of his brushes and his pistol lying on the table side by side not escaping him.

The pen

Comments

[book_moshi]

"Captain." Book pauses. "Duibuqi, am I disturbing you?"

[bad_in_latin]

"No, Shepherd," Mal responds quickly, shuffling away loose papers so as to motion Book to sit down. "I shoulda come talk to you after our most recent...events. Can I help you wit--hey, did you hear me 'bout Shadow?"

[book_moshi]

"I did," Book says with a nod. "It--forced me to come to a decision, I suppose. Am I right in suspecting I could get passage from Shadow to a hub system fairly easily? I've heard the docks there are shi fen hao."

[bad_in_latin]

"Shi a, you hop a cruiser, shouldn't take you more 'n two days to--

"...Why?"

[book_moshi]

"I said once I was on the wrong boat," Book says slowly. "I was wrong, then. It's clear to me that God had work for me. But I feel very strongly that that work is coming to an end. It's time for me to move, Captain."

[bad_in_latin]

Mal is silent for a few moments.

Just a passenger. 'Course he's gonna leave eventually.

"Them fuzzie-wuzzies is callin' to ya, then I suppose."

[book_moshi]

"Something like that," he says dryly.

"I'm sure you'll be glad to be free to pursue a career of larceny and violence without my increasingly irrelevant protests." He rubs a hand over a tired brow. "Shuo shi hua, captain, I've crossed lines I never wanted to cross for and in this ship. I need to center myself again."

[bad_in_latin]

"No need to get tetchy." Mal chews back a retort that forms in his head about never asking him to do anything for his ship, instead offering.

"Far be it from me to keep you from your center."

[book_moshi]

"So," Book says, in a summing up voice. "I'll take passage from Shadow, and head back to Southdown Abbey for a time."

[bad_in_latin]

"Sounds like a plan." Not one Mal likes in particular, but he's not about to share that with Book.

"You'll need a place to stay, I'm thinkin' - cruiser don't come every day that'd take you where you need to go. But we'll see when we get there."

[book_moshi]

He nods. "Are there many churches there? If I can find another Shepherd, I'll be fine. We're a hospitable lot."

[bad_in_latin]

"Not in particular. Sure we can find one, though." Mal may be thinking about one not two miles away from his ranch, with whitewashed gates and a rose garden in front.

"Was about to suggest you could stay on at the ranch 'stead o' movin' off to find a place."

[book_moshi]

"That would be fine, too," Book agrees, using fine in his usual way to mean not just okay but really excellent. "I don't want to impose..."

[bad_in_latin]

"No imposition," Mal interrupts authoritatively. "Invited the crew, didn't I?"

Asked in that way where Mal invited Book already.

[book_moshi]

Book nods, understanding the implication. "So you did. I look forward to meeting your people."

[bad_in_latin]

"Don't know how many people you'll actually meet, but my ma'll prolly be more 'n prepared to share any horrid details o' my past with anyone holding still."